The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being dividers or troublers of the church with some directions to the pastors how to deal with such Christians / by Richard Baxter.

DIRECT. XLIII.

Take heed lest you be tempted to reject a good Cause, because it is owned by some bad per∣sons; or to like a bad cause when it is own∣ed by men that are otherwise good: And that you judge not of the faith and cause by the persons, when you should judge of the persons ••ather by the faith and cause.

I Confess when we have no other reason to en∣cline us to one opinion or to another, but only the reputation of them that hold it, caeteris paribus, in matters of meer godliness, the judgment of godly men is much to be preferred before theirs that are ungodly, and they are much liker to be in the right. But when God hath given us other means to know the truth, we must impartially make use of them.

It too oft falleth out that honest people are like straying sheep: If one leap over the hedge, the rest will croud and strive to follow him: And therefore errours are like Languages and Fashi∣ons, that follow the Country where they are bred. The religious people in Sweden and Den∣mark have one sort of errour; In Holland and Helvetia perhaps they have another: In France, and Spain, and Italy they have others: In Greece, and Armenia, and Ethiopia they have others. And it is an easie matter before we are aware, to fall into the common epidemical disease; and to think, This is best, because the best and strictest people

are of this mind. And indeed sin doth seldome get so great an advantage in the world, as when it hath won the major vote among the most religi∣ous sort of people: If but a Peter separate, Barna∣bas and many more will follow.

And on the other side, sometimes the worser sort of men may hold fast the truth, and many ig∣norant persons are apt to reject it, because it is owned by men so bad. But if Truth be the Re∣ligion of their King and Countrey, or of their Ancestors in which they were brought up; or if their reputation or peace of conscience lie upon it; or if the defence of it shew their wit or learn∣ing; or if they can take an advantage by it, a∣gainst better men, who erre in that one point: It is no wonder in all these Cases, if the worser sort of men defend the truth.

For instance; If any Sect should rise in Eng∣land, who should deny Christ, or the Scripture, or the Resurrection, or the Life to come, or the Lords day (for all that they cannot keep it holy, yet) the worser sort of the people would all rise up against such errours. Shall we therefore think that the people are in the wrong? So if any better persons deny Infant Baptisme, or the use of the Lords Prayer, &c. the worser sort of people would be all against them; and yet be in the right.

And yet how many do take a form of prayer or Liturgy to be unlawful, meerly because the most of the worser sort are for it! As a Pharisee can gratifie his hypocrisie by long Prayers, which yet are good in themselves; so can an ungodly person gratifie his hypocrisie and sloth by Forms

and Liturgies: which yet doth not prove them to be unlawful.